[Michael Fournier]

Well I am back and had to comment on this subject.

Can't get a model to paint?
Paint what ever you have paint a Apple until you could identify that one apple in a basket of apples.
Paint a vase of flowers not so it a generic vase of flowers but so it is that vase of flowers. If you can paint you can paint anything.

Sure the human face and skin is by far more interesting then painting a still life but a great still life requires all the skill as a painter that does a portrait in fact I might even add it is harder to breath life into a still life then to paint what already has life.
Now painting from a photo you are now trying to breath life into a dead image.

I almost lost my daughter to the same mental heath problem I also have and it brought things to a much different perspective to me. I find I now understand what life is and although I am now painting again I will not paint from a photo any more.

I spent 3 years not painting at all because of depression that caused me to doubt not just my art but my self being. I needed to paint and produce art to pay bills to support my family but every time I took a commission I would feel overwhelmed with producing art from reference that left me empty I would destroy paintings even though my ability to pay my bills depended on selling that painting. In the end I just had to stop painting and find other sources of income.

Now it was not just painting from photos that caused my fits I had a serious medical problem but I feel I started selling portrait paintings out of a need for income so I did what ever I could to make money in the end I failed because for that very reason I lost my perspective and my sanity over it. So I say yes it takes years of practice to become a great portrait painter (or any realistic painter) but once you become a professional artist and your income is tide to producing art it is easy to try and shortcut what it takes. DONT DO IT.

You may not have the same reaction I had due to my own mental state but unless you don't care about anything but money at the very least you will know inside that you are a fake. If you can't paint from life you can't paint life in your art. Many times I would doubt myself and the target of a lot of it was the methods I used to produce art became second to how much money can I make. I cheated myself and my clients I would paint only when I had a paid commission I lost all the joy I once got from my art.

Now my experience is unique but I have to agree completely with Bill that the ability to copy a photo is not going to make you an artist and I would add it won't give you the satisfaction of producing work from life.

Also do not try and become a professional until you are actually ready.The pressures of producing a great painting are one thing but adding to it the pressures of life and you could set yourself up for more then just a failed career.